New World, New Beginning
by InterstellarParadox
Summary: Ash is forced to travel around Hoenn as a plot by Team Hydra chages Kanto forever. Will having May by his side, and of course Pikachu, will he be able to become a Pokemon master with another beginner at his side? Advanceshipping, will have body switch, thought reading, and a combination of all that good stuff as the story progresses!
1. Prologue

A/N: **Please enjoy this story, I will try to update and not make spelling mistakes but I have a bad keyboard and don't have Microsoft Word so, without further ado, enjoy!**

"Sir, the brat and the police are closing in on us, and our members are deserting, we're losing control of Kanto at an astronomical rate!"

A man with cold eyes and a rugged scar down his face turned and took the news with a passive face. He could show no weakness in front of his son, his most trusted and loyal follower. But for the first time in his life, his mask cracked and emotion spewed from within. His son gazed with a shocked expression, for the man did not display fear nor a trace of grief. Instead, an intense rage was plastered into his features, with a maniacal glint in his eye. "It is over for us, but they will pay dearly for fighting our control. We cannot win this, but there is no way we will not leave our mark on Kanto. Go son, tell General Manu to execute operation 66, codenamed _Firebird_. Say the sequence _Alpha, Alpha, Delta, Phi, Omega._ Ensure that Hydra will have it's final moment of revenge."

"As you wish father, I shall see you on the other side," the young man responded, leaving his black hair to swish along with his cloak for the last time. As his footsteps receded, the older man summoned an Ultra ball with psychic power and released a dark dragon with three heads.

"Hydreigon, I sense them breaking the final lock to our bunker. Distract them outside. They must not find him until he calls the general. Fight to the end, and remember the sacrifice I made for you." Hydreigon nodded, before having random flashbacks of the man's sacrifice to protect his only friend: a green Deino. _He surrendered his wife to them to protect me, now I shall repay the master._ Images of a young woman with pink hair being taken away flooded the Pokemon's mind, and he knew that he would give his life for his master.

"General, you may proceed with operation 66 codename Firebird. Alpha Alpha Delta Phi Omega." said a low voice over the only remaining phone in the bunker.

"Very well," a gruff voice replied, "it shall be executed within 7 minutes. A short click indicated the call was over. The young man glanced at his watch, determining it to be 23:53. _How ironic,_ he thought, _the start of a new day marks the end of an era._ With that final thought, he sat in a chair, waiting out the last minutes of his life.

"It is the end for you. Your green Hydreigon could never stand up to my full team of six. It is over for you and your entire team this time."

The leader of Team Hydra gazed upon the young boy of 17 situated in front of him. A tear formed in his eye for the slightest of seconds upon hearing his Hydreigon's fate, but was quickly pushed aside by insane laughter.

"You fool! Team Hydra will never surrender, we shall inflict pain on you this one last time. Your fate is tied to mine, we shall both die." With that, he gazed at his monitor and noticed the time had just passed to 23:59. He gazed at the trainer whose facade broke to display his confusion. Before he could be restrained by the boy's Pikachu, however, he projected a live feed of a seemingly plain mountain.

"You see, Red, you have been a pain in my side for too long. In one minute, you will see Team Hydra's last resort. You have lost. You may kill me and disband my grunts, but you have lost."

Red looked at the screen in horror, as the mountain peak opened and revealed numerous nuclear warheads attached to rockets. Numerous jets flew out of the peak as well, carrying heavy bombs and munitions. At exactly 00:00, the missiles launched and directed themselves towards their targets. Red sighed, realizing the man had truly won in the end. He hugged his Pikachu one last time. He did not notice the man press a red button, and the last thing he heard was a rumble as the bunker exploded in a massive fireball, obliterating Mt. Silver with just one blast.


	2. Kantostrophe

**A/N: I apologize for how short the Prologue was, I didn't realize just how much I had written as I got into the moment... That being said Ill try to get the word count over 1500, and I would appreciate reviews! Thanks for reading this :)**

 _"In a sudden turn of events, the young challenger's Garchomp has managed to knock out Lucian's Alakazam and Espeon with ease. Both sides remain with only one pokemon! The battle for the Sinnoh championship begins now, as Cynthia's Garchomp battles the champion's Gallade! Gallade hits it off with a psycho cut as Garchomp avoids it by digging underground. Lucian masterfully uses a detect attack to dodge the incoming dig but is not able to issue a command as Garchomp hits it with a flamethrower. Cynthia has ordered a sandstorm attack! In these conditions Garchomp's speed is greatly increased! Cynthia goes in for a dragon rush but a confusion from Gallade stops it in its tracks. This is it folks, Garchomp is charging up a drco meteor while gallade is attempting to come on close with an ice punch! The first attack that its will win this match. Once the smoke clears we will be able to determine a winner. UNBELIEVEABLE! Gallade is unable to battle which means the challenger Cynthia is now the new champion of the-"_

"ASH KETCHUM WHY ARE YOU STILL AWAKE AT THIS TIME! DON'T YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO BE UP EARLY TOMORROW TO GET YOUR FIRST POKEMON?" Delia Ketchum had grown tired of her son's irresponsibility in the last year. He was fourteen years old and was growing anxious with every passing day. There was not a day in which Ash did not complain about the Trainer Safety law which only allowed 15 year olds to receive Pokemon due to the growing threat of Team Hydra.

"But mom, I'm studying for my journey!" he replied in a childish tone.

"It seems to me that you've been watching the same battle for the past two years. You need rest, tomorrow is a big day for you. Also, some of us are trying to sleep in this house. It's time for bed, goodnight sweetie!" she replied ash she closed the door and turned off the lights.

Ash sat on the corner of his bed after turning off his TV. He contemplated whether or not he wanted to turn it back on, but decided it would be best to obey his mother. As he got under his Pokeball themed sheets, he thought _tomorrow is the day I start my journey to be a Pokemon master. I'll catch up to Gary, he'll see that five more years of experience for being Oak's favorite mean nothing against a real trainer like me._ With that happy thought, he drifted off to a deep sleep.

* * *

Ash woke up in a hurry, thinking he had overslept. A quick glance at his alarm displayed the time to be 7:13. He still had roughly 45 minutes to arrive at the lab and pick out his Pokemon. The delightful aroma of pancakes led him directly to a table loaded with all kinds of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Noticing his mom smiling at him from the kitchen, he dug into his final home-cooked meal before going out on the road. His mom had gone all out, and ash quickly bloated himself with pancakes ranging from buttermilk to chocolate chips. Within thirty minutes the food had been inhaled, and Ash was ready to walk to Professor Oak's lab.

"Goodbye dear! Don't forget to call me and don't forget to change your underpants every day!" called out his mom after engulfing him in a suffocating hug.

"I will mom, I can't wait to show you all the kinds of Pokemon I will catch." he replied and closed the door. Ash now had a five minute walk to the Professor's lab in which he would have to walk in front of all his friends' and neighbors' houses. Instead of reminiscing, however, Ash was enamored with the possibility of having his very own Charmander. His thoughts were interrupted as his three best friends approached him and waved, calling him to join in on their conversation.

"Hey Rey! Hey Ritchie! Hey Serena! Are you guys ready for your first Pokemon?" he called out to them.

The one nearest to him, a petite brunette with emerald eyes, responded "Yeah! I can't wait to have a Bulbasaur."

Not wanting to be left out, a blonde with stunning blue eyes added, "Squirtle is so cute! I want it to be mine. And I'll be able to beat Rey's Bulbasaur"

Ash's most trusted friend and rival, a boy with brown hair and hazel eyes, called out, "Looks like I'm getting the Charmander then Ketchum. After all I am the oldest." Ash glared at him, already knowing he would be the last to pick a starter.

"Cheer up Ash," said Rey, "I'm sure Professor Oak will have some Pokemon to start with. He knows all four of us are arriving."

"Yeah, Ashy here is gonna start with a Caterpie while we get the starters," replied Ritchie with a smirk.

"Hey!" yelled Serena while punching Ritchie in the arm. "It's Ash's special day too, you don't have to be a complete jerk about it. I'm sure Proffesor Oak will find you a perfectly good Pokemon Ash."

"Yeah, sorry Ash, your girlfriend here has made me realize that I should apologize for what I said." Ritchie looked at Serena with a smirk as he watched her quickly shift through various shades of red.

"FOR THE LAST TIME RITCHIE WE'RE NOT DATING!" they replied in unison, resulting in even deeper blushes for the two of them.

"How cute you even answer together like a couple," replied Ritchie with a snicker.

Ritchie's life was only spared by the arrival at the front gate of the Professor's lab, which was ajar. They stepped through and found Professor Oak standing with four Pokeballs in his hands.

"Hello you four!" he greeted with a smile. "Come pick your Pokemon quickly, I have much work to do." He released the three Kanto starters, along with an electric mouse who looked unhappy to be present. After handing each trainer a Pokedex and five Pokeballs, he called over Ritchie to pick his Pokemon first.

"Charmander, we're going to be the strongest duo in Kanto!" Ritchie yelled and embraced his new Charmander. Charmander shot an ember into the air to signify his approval at the statement. Rey picked Bulbasaur next as she was the second oldest.

Seeing Ash visibly slouch down at seeing only one original starter remain, Serena whispered to him with light pink cheeks, "Ash, you can have Squirtle if you want, I really don't like seeing you without a smile on your face."

"I'd be a horrible friend if I let you do that. Take that Squirtle and love and care for it. I'll be fine, that Pikachu and I will be able to get along eventually. Go, you've wanted Squirtle ever since you were five, and I'm not taking that away from you." Serena's heart melted at his compassion, and unbeknownst to him, his whisper in her ear sent shivers down her spine. She gave Ash a quick embrace and peck on the cheek, leaving him quite flustered, and rushed to embrace her new Squirtle. Ash sighed, caught between jealousy and being happy for his friend. He decided to be happy for her and gave her a thumbs up before she went to wait for him by the gate along with Ritchie and Rey.

Ash approached Professor Oak and the old man advised him, "Be careful Ash, this one has a more fiery personality than a Charmander. However, once you earn its trust the results might be shocking." He laghed a little at the professor's attempted joke but was quickly surprised by a thundershock from a pissed off Pikachu. Ash returned it to it's pokeball, much to the Pikachu's displeasure, and Ash walked back to meet his friends and family at the gate. He was greeted by Serena's mother, Ritchie's older brother, and Rey's mom and dad. Of course, his mother was cheering the loudest and hugged her son.

"Well guys, our adventure begins as soon as we step through these gates, are you ready?" asked an impatient Ritchie.

They were about to step through when a blinding light paralyzed them and burned through their eyelids, leaving them momentarily stunned. Immediately after, every person's Pokeballs started giving off sparks and released their Pokemon before the circuits fried to a crisp. It was the last method of defense in the new Pokeballs. Serena's mother's Ryhorns, along with Ritchie's brother's Dragonair and the new trainers' starters were released, confused by their release. Pikachu, who was about to run away, slowly turned around to see what everyone else had turned to see after instincts told it to stay put. Where Viridian City once was, a mushroom cloud now towered in the skyline, leaving the residents of Pallet Town with their mouths agape. Deep down, they knew Viridian City was no more. Even the Pokemon looked somber as they felts numerous lives of both humans and Pokemon fade away.

Before they could recover from their shock, a jet flew low to the ground and decimated Professor Oak's lab. Professor Oak shrieked at the gate with the rest of the members holding him back from running into the wreckage. Soon, they were brought back to reality as the jet swooped in again, so close they could see the odious mark of Team Hydra, as the jet strafed and destroyed house after house in Pallet Town. Serena's mother was angered at the innocent loss of life, and her anger allowed her to think rationally and come up with a plan to save the only unscathed froup in Pallet Town, themselves.

"QUICK! Everyone mount a Ryhorn now! We are going to the port. There is nothing left for us here and we must escape before we suffer the same fate."

For once, no one argued or made a single joke. Ash mounted one of the Ryhorn with his mother, and Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms without shocking him. The entire group rode off in hopes of reaching the port, turning their backs to the unprecedented level of destruction behind them.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope I didn't bore you with dialogue or if I made it too long or short. I imagine the electromagnetic waves from the blast would open the Pokeballs in case anyone was wondering. Also, I know Serena might worry some, but don't worry! This will remain Advanceshipping. This might be a little darker of a story than usual, and I know the fighter jets and nukes might seem a little much, but there is a reason why there is no more Kanto (spoiler alert), and I feel like it mixes our world to the one of Pokemon and shows just the true evil of the organization when they don't use Pokemon (to be fair Lysandre was worse so). PLEASE REVIEW THIS! I've always wanted a first review :) This is my first story and I'm glad I already have people Following it :) Thank you and I'll try to update daily  
**


	3. So Long, Farewell

**A/N: For the sake of quick updates I'm going to be writing this chapter mostly on my iPhone. Please excuse spelling mistakes because these keys are tiny. For those of you who still find this story interesting, Please rate and review!**

* * *

Only three ships remained at the small port of Pallet Town. All three ships, originally bringing passengers from Johto, Kalos, and Hoenn had been the only ones that didn't scuttle at the sight of the blasts. Against the will of the passengers, the captains remained on the dock in order to save any remaining survivors. However, after twenty minutes of no response from the train, the Johto captain, a small fat man named Steven Sea, said to his fellow captains, "It is over, any survivors would be out by now. We haven't seen even one wild

Pokemon. I'm going back to ready the ship." Ignoring the glares from his fellow seamen, he casually walked up to his ferry and prepared to return to Johto.

The two remaining captains, Captain Mee and Captain Lee, captains of the Kalos and Hoenn ships respectively, stared after the fat man and saw his wobble into his ship.

"Maybe we should leave too," stated Captain Mee, "there might really be no one left to save,"

"You may go if you wish, but I will wait ten more minutes so I can say that at least I gave them a chance."

"Very well, I shall remain here and see if anyone shows up." They didn't have to wait long as they saw a stampede of Ryhorn approaching with riders on their backs."

* * *

The ride to the port was a mostly somber one. When there was any bit of conversation, and that was rare indeed, it was in whispers and it was to the person adjacent to them. Mostly, the group's mind was full of worry about where to live in the future and shock at what had just transpired to their hometown. By the time the docks were in sight, the adults, save for Delia Ketchum, had decided the location of theirsimul temporary refuge and informed the children. Ash remained in the dark, not knowing any relatives that could take them in.

As the ships came into view, Ritchie's brother noticed a ship with the red colors of Johto heading out to sea. "Our ride is going away! We needed to get to Johto to visit Uncle Mark." His Dragonair, sensing its master's desperation, leaped off the ryhorn and into the air, glowing in a white light. Dragonite swiftly picked up its master and his brother, who still clung to his Charmander, and swiftly carried them off to their Johto ship. They left behind a very confused Ryhorn and three saddened teens.

"I didn't get to say goodbye..." Unbeknownst to them, all three teens whispered the same line.

The four Ryhorn soon arrived in front of the two captains, letting down the group and proceeding to line up in an orderly formation.

"I'm glad you made it. My name is Captain Mee, and I run the blue Kalos ship. Are there any more people on the way?"

Serena's mom stepped up and responded, "No, we are the only ones left. My daughter and I, along with these Ryhorn need to get to Kalos. Is there enough space for us?"

"The Ryhorn will exceed the weight limit, but we can find a way. Our guests were having issues with Pokeballs as well."

Serena looked disappointed that her friends wouldn't be able to come along, but understood there was nothing she could do to convince the captain to allow more weight on board. She of course knew of Rey's family in Mossdeep City, but secretly hoped Ash could stay with her.

"Well, it seems we'll be heading to Hoenn," Ash said to his mother and Rey as he noted the green coloring on the hull of the ship. Serena ran up and gave Rey a huge hug that conveyed all her thanks for being her best friend all these years and a promise that they'd see each other again. She then looked upon Ash with tears in her eyes. Without a word, she embraced him so hard that his face turned blue. She pulled away, her cheeks red, and followed the captain to the ship, with Squirtle in hand. Her mother gave a quick goodbye to the four adults and promised the two teens they'd meet up again someday. She too then walked towards the blue ship, with four Ryhorn stomping in line.

"I'm sorry to ruin the moment, but we really do need to set sail. I have two small cabins available, I apologize for the little room but the ship is packed and we weren't expecting the passengers to remain on the ship."

Rey's father shook his head and smiled at the captain. "You are a good man. Thank you for having us, we will find a way to divide ourselves up." With that, they followed the captain towards the last green ship.

* * *

Floating on a ship considered floating paradise did not seem to make the day better for any of the Kanto party, or anyone on the boat for that matter. A grim air hung around the ship, and not a single festival tune played. Rey, it seemed, took the greatest emotional damage from the attacks. She held on to her knees and rocked back and forth on the deck of the ship. Ash, who was also on the brink of a meltdown, stayed strong for his oldest friend and tried to comfort her, but to no avail. Hours passed and Ash just sat there with her, attempting to soothe some of the scars. An announcement from the captain however, ended his attempts.

 _Ladies and gentlemen, I know today has been a somber day, and I apologize for putting more on your plates, but you all have a right to know. K-Kanto has been completely obliterated. Every major city and landmark has been destroyed. This is the work of Team Hydra, who for so long terrorized the Kanto region. Today is a day for mourning all those innocent people and Pokemon in Kanto. The mainland has communicated to me that there are reporters storming the dock at Petalburg City. I implore you to restrain yourselves from having a moment of fame and respect the people of Kanto by not spreading rumors or turning it into a fairy-tale. That is all, and remember, we must all stick together in times like these._

The captain's heartfelt words snapped something in Ash. He slowly just laid down with his head on Rey's lap, as she was now just sitting against a wall in shock. He looked up, not at the clouds or hordes of Wingull, but stared at nothing, as his brain tried to process the words of the captain.

* * *

Professor Oak jumped off of the only bed in his cabin and proceeded to knock on the other adults' door. He sighed, he knew that he shouldn't have agreed to have his own room but Delia and Rey's mother had insisted. Delia opened the door for the shell-shocked professor and let him in. He sat on the unoccupied bed facing Mr. and Mrs. Grace. Delia sat next to him on her bed and put her arm on his back. The adults did not speak for what seemed like hours, though they all shed their own silent tears. After a seemingly endless silence, Mr. Grace spoke up. "We should check on the kids, they're probably not taking it any better then we are."

Delia and Mrs. Grace nodded, and left the room, sending a pointed look to Mr. Grace so that he remained with the esteemed Professor. The old man only mumbled phrases such as "my lab" or "all the Pokemon." Mr. Grace sighed, looking at the clock which read 19:44. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Ritchie glared at his brother, hiding his dammed emotions in before they burst. "HOW COULD YOU! I DIDN'T GET TO SAY GOODBYE TO THEM!"

His brother, Riley, sighed. He had been expecting this outburst for awhile. He was lucky Dragonite was escaping Ritchie's unending tirade by flying above the ship. _what i wouldn't give to be up there,_ he thought.

"THEY'RE MY FRIENDS! I PROBABLY WON'T SEE THEM AGAIN BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPID DRAGONITE!"

Something in Riley snapped, "Listen I don't have to listen to your stupid problems. Kanto has been anhialated for fuck's sake! AND ALL YOU CARE ABOUT ARE YOUR STUPID FRIENDS!" He immediately regretted his words as he saw Ritchie become pale and fall back onto the cabin on his bed, gazing at the wall. _If only I had kept my mouth shut, I would rather listen to him rant and not see him like this,_ Riley thought to himself. He sighed, realizing the trip to Johto would be an awkward one.

"Mom, dad," Ritchie whispered as he drifted off to sleep, as his Charmander curled into his side.

* * *

Serena wasn't faring any better. She had no one to go to, as her mom had gone to the cargo hold to take care of the Ryhorn. She screamed and kicked everything in her cabin, as if it would help her feel better. She thought of every good memory she had ever had in Kanto. She thought of running with Ash through the hills of Route 1. She thought of eating ice cream with Ash. She thought of- Ash. She felt sickened. She couldn't spare one thought for all the people in Kanto. All she could think about was her stupid schoolgirl crush on her best friend. _Oh Ash,_ she thought, _why can't you be here._ She was about to completely break down, but she heard the click of an incoming announcement.

 _Ladies and gentlemen we will be arriving at Vaniville Town in ten minutes._

She let out a deep breath. She had a new life to live, she was going to be living in her grandma's house that her mother had inherited. She went up to the main deck and stared out at the mainland. Her life would change forever as soon as she stepped off this ship. _I'll see them again,_ she convinced herself as she watched the port get closer and closer.

* * *

Delia and Mrs. Grace eventually found the teens sleeping on the deck against a wall with a light blue powder on their noses. Bulbasaur looked guilty but lightened up at Mrs. Grace's grateful look. Delia and Mrs. Grace shared a smile as they saw their children asleep on each other, holding each other almost as if they were defending the other. "How cute," Mrs. Ketchum said, "but we really need to get them to their sleeping bags in their rooms."

Mrs. Grace tried to separate them to wake them up. She pulled Ash away from her daughter but her daughter began to mumble and shake, as if she was having a nightmare. She sighed, realizing that pulling them apart or even moving them would be a bad idea. "Let's bring them a sleeping bag, it's a nice night and I think they need each other after today's events."

After seeing them once again regain their initial position, Delia chuckled. "Looks like we only need to bring them one sleeping bag and wrap them in it. You will help us right Bulbasaur?"

"Sauur," it replied.

"Dan and I would never really let Reyna sleep with a boy but, we all need a little comfort in times like these." Mrs. Grace looked back at her girl wrapped in the boy's arms and the Bulbasaur tickling the Pikachu. _They grow up so fast,_ was her final thought before she and Delia went to fetch the sleeping bag and convince Mr. Grace to allow the teens to remain in their embrace.

* * *

 _It is too late for you to help, turn aroun, you can do nothing here._

Cresselia felt annoyed and useless but knew better than to argue with the creator of the Pokemon world. She imagined some foul mouthed words at Arceus as she flew off in return to the Sinnoh region.On her way there, she spotted a vessel and sensed young ones having a nightmare. Upon seeing the two embracing teens in their sleeping bag, she felt pity at seeing their nightmares, kept at bay only by their deep friendship. Cresselia knew they would have to split ways, and wanted to help them be able to sleep without the other. She glowed a light pink, before the light she reflected entered the teens' bodies. They both visibly relaxed and loosened their grip on each other, but remained in the same sleeping bag at close quarters nonetheless.

Cresselia smiled, or tried to. She didn't really express human emotions in the same way. She did however, feel like she had made a difference in someone's life and realized that maybe she did help after all with the Kanto disaster. She knew this little blessing would give these two nightmare-free nights and wished them the best to cope with the pain during the day.

 **A/N: I'm restraining myself from making this Ash x Rey because next chapter we are introduced to May! Prepare for the update sometime tomorrow or later tonight! Tschuss, don't forget to please read and REVIEW :) (Also looking for someone to proofread the story if interested)**


	4. Fire Chickens and Bikes

**The way this story is going, chapters should continue increasing in word length after this one. Basically this story will eventually cover all 8 gyms but I'm not sure if I should write many chapters with less words or bigger chapters. Let me know in the reviews!**

* * *

May Maple of Petalburg City climbed out of her bed and stretched her lazy muscles. The sun outside her window indicated she had overslept, as was her summer routine ever since her tenth birthday. She had, for the last four years, attended the non-trainer school in the hopes of finding a fulfilling career in the hopes of using her money to travel. She didn't need or want a Pokemon, in fact, she despised the very idea of Pokemon. Her father and her brother Max constantly talked about them and she had been sickened by the thought of the creatures. May believed the world to be a safe place in which she didn't need a magical creature guarding her at every corner.

She had, however, considered a journey with Pokemon every time she was left lonely in the summer. Her friends had all gone on journeys years ago, leaving her with the geeks from school and her brother, who was arguably worse. She spent the lonely summers wandering the streets and frequenting the park, hoping to find someone her age she could befriend. Of course, she never found anyone as most kids her age became trainers until the age of twenty one, and then settled down.

May walked down the stairs, but strangely enough, did not smell lunch cooking as she did every day. In fact, her family was nowhere to be seen. _Great, now I have to make my own food,_ she thought to herself sarcastically. Her cooking skills included making a deluxe grilled cheese sandwich, with two cheeses instead of one. Anything beyond that was either inedible or set on fire whenever she tried to make it. She nibbled on her sandwich, worrying more and more at the seeming absence of her family. Anxiety caused her to eat faster, and the sandwich was gobbled up in five bites.

She got up and searched her entire house for any sign of her family. They were not in the bedroom, greenhouse, or even in the battle arena. She slowly made her way to the living room, and was surprised the door was ajar. From the other side of the door, she heard the TV announcer. " _And now, we bring you live footage from the Kanto disaster."_

 _Kanto disaster?_ she thought _I'd better see what this is about. Kanto seems beautiful._ She barged into the room and was surprised to see her father and mother intently watching the television with her brother Max who was staring with a shocked expression from the rocking chair. No one noticed her presence as they were transfixed by the images on the TV. May understood their reactions upon seeing the images of utter destruction that flashed on the TV, images of burning buildings and ravaged landscapes.

 _"Ladies and gentlemen, we have an update on the Kanto crisis. Our crew in the air managed to confirm the annihilation of every city in Kanto. Rescue teams from every region are working to recover any Pokemon or people who may have survived the blasts, but chances seem bleak. The natural habitats of many Pokemon were destroyed as Mt. Silver turned to rubble and fires spread throughout the routes. As of yesterday, all travel to Kanto has been cancelled except recovery teams. As of now, only water Pokemon have been recovered and sent to the White Forest aquarium for preservation. As efforts continue, we hope to recover any survivors. Tune in at four o'clock for updates on the current catastrophe."_

Her father shut off the TV as the report changed to the day's weather. Caroline Maple, May's mother, noticed her crying daughter and hugged her to try to comfort her after the disturbing news. Similarly, Norman Maple comforted his son and told him the Pokemon would be rescued. While her mother held her, May was deep in thought. _Am I sad because my travel destination is destroyed or could it be something else? Of course I am sad at the massive loss of human life, but the Pokemon... Did I just think about Pokemon?_ As she thought of the deceased Pokemon, she lost all control of her emotions. She wept in her mother's arms and realized she did not hate Pokemon. She never did.

* * *

"We'll see you in two days honey, remember to be careful and not anger any wild Pokemon!" her mother called out to the girl who was mounting her bike.

"Don't worry mom, I will! Bye dad!" May replied, intending to set off and reach the Professor's lab before sundown.

Her father called out to her and stopped her from leaving immediately, much to her annoyance. "May! Take my Vigoroth with you. Don't open the Pokeball unless it's an emergency. Be safe and hurry back! You can start your journey from here. Have fun!"

May thanked her father and pocketed the Pokeball, intending to leave it in her pocket for protection. She set off toward Littleroot town with a renewed confidence and a newfound passion for Pokemon.

* * *

By the end of the day, May was cursing exercise, her bike, her legs, her backpack, and anything that was related to the pain she felt in her legs. She'd taken four breaks along the way to rest and complain about her pain. To add to her frustration, she'd been unable to capture a red Shroomish who in her opinion, sparkled in the sun. A very irritated May arrived at a clearing near Littleroot town. May decided she would not pedal any longer and hopped off the bike onto her sore legs. She didn't bother to eat or change clothes, she just opened her sleeping bag, released Vigoroth to be her bodyguard, and drifted off to sleep while imagining what the Pokemon the professor had looked like.

The next morning, a sore May quickly gobbled up her breakfast and recalled a sleeping Vigoroth. _What a great bodyguard,_ May thought. Though her legs were complaining, curiosity drove her to her feet and towards her bike. She slowly pedaled to the front of the Professor's house. _This is it, this is where my adventure begins,_ she thought. Building up her courage, she gave four knocks on the big Oak doors. Soon, an energetic looking man with a beard and lab coat opened the door and recognized his long-time friend's daughter.

"Norman's daughter! May you've grown so much since I last saw you! Are you here to finally pick your Pokemon? I was so surprised you didn't pick it up four years ago. How's your father? IS your mother okay?"

May was startled by the man's barrage of questions and only processed about half of what he said. However, before she could respond, the professor invited her inside. "Come, I'll make you breakfast and we can discuss your first Pokemon."

May's stomach rumbled loudly, as she had only a small sandwich for breakfast. She followed the professor inside, hoping for a big breakfast.

* * *

May sat at the professor's table, satisfied. The professor only looked at her in shock, wondering how the girl ate all those eggs and pancakes in such a short time. He was brought out of his musings by May, who asked, "When can I pick my Pokemon professor?"

The professor sighed, realizing his answer would not satisfy the impatient girl. "Unfortunately the starter Pokemon have not arrived yet. The League scheduled the delivery to be in two days. I'm sorry that you have to wait, but there is nothing I can do."

"Professor Birch, my father said I have to return today, is there really nothing you can do?"

"Don't worry, I'll give Norman a call and convince him to let you remain as my assistant so you don't have to make the journey again. I'll be right back."

May gave a half-hearted nod, not really wanting to do any work for the professor but at the same time not wanting to cycle home. In the end she decided that the professor's work might be less vigorous and that at least she'd get food and a bed.

"Alright May, you dad allowed you to stay for two days as my assistant. You can go leave your things in the guest room down the hall. Hurry back, we've got lot's of Pokemon to study today!"

May sighed, maybe working for the Professor would be worse than biking after all.

* * *

Two days later, May sprang out of her bed and rushed to the kitchen table. There were pancakes on the table and a note from the professor saying he'd be right back, as he was getting the Pokemon from the transfer machines. May gobbled up her pancakes and rushed to the Professor's lab room, where he said he'd meet her. She kicked her legs out while sitting at the edge of the table, waiting for what seemed to be an eternity but in reality was seven minutes. Finally the professor arrived and opened three Pokeballs, revealing the three starters to May.

"Alright May, you have the choice between these three Pokemon. Torchic, Mudkip, and Treecko."

May examined each one closely. She went to pick up the blue-finned Pokemon, but was sprayed by water as she pulled its fin.

"I don't think this one likes me." she said to the professor, who merely chuckled. In the end, she decided on the Torchic merely on the basis that it was cuter. Torchic happily ran up to her and pecked her affectionately.

"Alright Torchic, you're my partner now!"

"Tooor"

"Here you go May," said Professor Birch, handing May Six Pokeballs and a Pokedex, "The Pokeball with the flame is your Torchic's and the Pokedex will be your guide to any Pokemon you encounter along your journey. Thanks for all your help this week, though you should really be off soon in order to reach Petalburg City before sundown."

"Thanks Professor, I will." She recalled her Torchic and put her Pokeballs, Pokedex, and some sandwiches the professor made her for her journey in her bag. Torchic and Vigoroth's Pokeballs remained in her pocket. With one final wave to the professor, she got on her bike and rode off, muttering about all the work she had to do.

As she rode off towards Petalburg City, she thought, _I wonder what my parents did while I was gone. They'd better have dinner ready for me when I get back._

* * *

 ** _A/N:  
_ I don't know, this chapter seems weird to me but then again, I've never liked anything I write so please Review the story. Next chapter should be fairly interesting!  
**


	5. Dreams and Pillows

**A/N: Sorry for the late update, I was busy and had to think about this next chapter. Don't worry it's not abandoned.**

* * *

Rey had never slept better. In fact, even after a trauma that would even give Drake nightmares, her dreams were pleasant. Her mind paid no mind to the recent catastrophe and thought only of her Pokemon.

 _Rey overlooked the ocean on a cliff with her Bulbasaur. In the distance, warlord surfaced and Lanturn glowed in the setting sun. Suddenly, her bulbasaur was enveloped in a white glow and emerged a Venosaur. Rey was confused for a moment, but she was distracted by a collection of badges and weird ribbon-like things on the floor scattered around her. Finally, she noticed a purple Lapras swimming overthrow the beach at_ the _base of the cliff. Before it beached itself, however, it returned to a Pokeball that had somehow managed to be attached to her_ belt. _In fact, upon closer inspection, six Pokeballs were now strapped to her belt. She sat down and looked at the horizon, trying to make sense of the weird happenings. However, in the distance she saw a beautiful pink and yellow Pokemon glistening in the moonlight. The light of the night shimmered on the crescents on its back. Rey did not know what Pokemon it was, but continued to stare in amazement. "Rey!" She could hear it speak in her head. "Don't give up on your dream. Don't let Ash give up on his dream. I have blessed you both by taking away your memories of the event during your slumber. Use your blessing, don't let my last blessing to Kanto go to waste. In six months, the Lapras will visit the beach by your house. Regardless of whether you battle it or not, it should be the start of your journey. Remember your dream._

* * *

Rey groaned as the emerging sunset sprinkled light into her eyes. She shifted and became aware that she had an arm draped around her. Confused by this, she looked upon the sleeping face of Ash. She saw him begin to stir as the sunlight reached his eyes. Rey was hoping he would wake up soon so that she could discuss the dream but was quickly disappointed as Ash unconsciously shifted deeper in the sleeping bag and put his head somewhere the sun wouldn't strike his eyes. Much to Rey's embarrassment, that place was her chest. Her face reddened as if she had eaten a Tamato berry and she had half a mind to tell him off, but remembered he was sleeping and was exhausted from the previous day. She let him sleep, watching his blissful smile and plotting to embarrass him once he woke up.

Thirty minutes later, a bored Rey decided to wake Ash up. She poked his cheek until he began to stir slightly. "This hotel has the best pillow," he said before he fell into a deep sleep once again. Rey blushes slightly but burst out laughing. The sudden noise and movement woke Ash up, leaving him wondering where he was. "Where am I, and what am I sleeping on? " he murmured out loud.

Rey put her face above his and gave him a mischievous smile."You've grown bold Ash. I didn't know my chest was 'the best pillow on this boat'"

Ash jolted up with a start, only now realizing the predicament he was in. Unfortunately his head rammed into Rey's, making the both of them stand up and clutch their aching foreheads.

He was the first to speak up. "Rey I'm so sorry I didn't mean to I was asleep! Please don't think I'm weird because I really didn't mean to and-"

"Ifs fine Ash, I know you didn't mean it. Besides, I let you sleep there so I could tease you. If anything I'm a little flattered. You're my best friend, and I know you'd never take advantage of me so relax."

"Okay but I'm still sorry. You should have pushed me off or woken me up."

"You looked conmfortable and you needed rest after yesterday. After you comforted me yesterday, I'm not going to be mad at you for something silly like this. Come on, I bet we can see Petalburg City from the front of the ship! Also I need to talk to you about something."

 **A/N: Just a short little chapter to develop how close the friends are. dont worry, next chapter will be long. Sorry about the short chapters but I swear they get longer**


	6. A Norman Dinner Pt 1

**A/N: Here comes the long chapter! Sorry for the long update time but I've been preoccupied with other games (maybe I tried to win all the contests in ORAS). My Advanceshipping feels good today, so let's go on to the next chapter in this adventure.**

* * *

 _"Norman, it is your duty as gym leader to help our Kanto refugees as best you can. Give them the house across from yours, I have transferred ownership from the city to you. Meet the family at the port, a famous face should calm them. Finally, your duty is to shield them from the reporters. As mayor, I give you this duty which your conract obliges you to follow since they are my orders, now go._

A click indicated the call had ended. He sighed, the mayor hadn't even allowed him to speak. May was arriving later that day, and he wanted the afternoon to be spent with his wife. Inwardly groaning and cursing the clauses in his contract which forced him to obey the mayor's commands, he walked to his car and headed off towards the port.

* * *

At around noon, the ship was rapidly approaching the Petalburg dock. _"Ladies and gentlemen we will be docking in Petalburg City in ten minutes. Our next stop will be Littleroot Town followed by Mossdeep City. I'd like to thank your for your cooperation in helping out the Kanto natives, who I am sure are equally grateful. Enjoy your las ten minutes on board."_

Ash and Rey were standing in the very front of the ship, seeing the Hoenn coastline approach them and bouncing up and down with the waves. They had just returned from breakfast, which, to Ash's dismay, was a small ration. He had gobbled up his bagel in three bites, leaving a slightly disgusted Rey to laugh at his antics. He had merely pouted and looked greedily at her bagel.

They looked at each other sadly, realizing they wouldn't see each other for a long time. Suddenly, Rey remembered Cresselia's advice. She had been too distracted by the morning's events to talk to him about it. "Ash, are you thinking of starting a Pokemon journey here in Hoenn?"

"I don't know Rey, we don't have any relatives or a house. My mom is going to be working hard to try to provide for us and we don't know anyone here. All I know is that she wants to stay in Petalburg. She says she's read about it and a smaller city appeals to her. I'm probably going to get a job and help her out, a journey seems impossible right now."

"Well Ash, that's very noble of you." she replied, visibly disappointed. "I'm starting my journey in exactly six months. I had a vision in a dream yesterday. It old me to go on a journey in six months. Ash, we only have each other now. If we go on a journey, we can see each other again. If not, then all of my friends are truly gone. Please Ash, promise me you'll start your journey in six months."

Seeing the girl so close to tears, he relented. "I promise, in six months I'll see you on the road." While part of him felt guilty for leaving his mom, his childish side jumped in excitement.

Rey gave him a huge hug and was so happy she wouldn't lose her last friend. Impulsively, she gave him a quick peck on the lips. They both stood there, stunned at what ha happened. Rey's mind kicked in first and she said with a blush, "Maybe that's something you can look forward to. Just don't tell Serena."

"Why would I tell Serena about our kiss? Would she be mad or something? But that doesn't make sense."

Rey mentally slapped herself for revealing her friend's secret and decided the truth would come out eventually. "Well, you see Ash, Serena-"

"ASH KETCHUM! We need to go to the unloading deck below in order to get off the boat. We arrive in one minute!" A frantic Delia Ketchum with a Pikachu on her shoulder tried to drag her son towards the stairs. Ash broke free and gave Rey one last hug and said, "See you soon."

He then ran to the stairs to catch up to his mother, leaving a confused Rey on the verge of tears. His departure hurt more than it should, and she didn't know why. _It's probably nothing, he's my only friend here in Hoenn after all,_ she thought to herself before running off to her parents for comfort.

* * *

Ash and his mother were the last to depart from the ship. As soon as they touched solid ground, reporters swarmed the pair, hoping to get interviews. Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms to avoid being lost in the confusion, and Delia held on to Ash's arm and tried to drag him along. It was to no avail, it seemed every reporter in Hoenn wanted an interview. Ash ignored their questioning, but some questions about people back home and questioning whether he knew anyone that died were starting to chip away at his temper. Seconds before Ash's fury exploded, a Slaking broke the crowd apart to reveal a path to a tall man with dark hair and a red jacket.

Norman's attitude had done a complete 180 after seeing the pair of refugees. He had been expecting a group of men who saved only themselves and would revel in their newfound fame. Instead, the sight of a saddened mother clutching her child to protect him from the reporters melted his heart. He walked quickly over to them and whispered to Delia. "Follow me, I am providing a house for you on orders of the mayor himself."

Delia nodded and followed him, dragging Ash with her. The reporters became restless and began a tirade of questions before a roar from Slaking silenced them once again. Ash and Delia climbed into Norman's sedan and sat in the back quietly. Norman recalled Slaking and sped off towards Petalburg City, carrying two quiet passengers.

After five minutes of silence, Delia spoke up. "I am very grateful that the mayor is providing accommodations, but are you sure we can just live for free here? We haven't really done anything special and the last thing we want to do is bother anyone. By the way, my name is Delia Ketchum."

"Nonsense," Norman answered, "I know you might be suspicious of the mayor's motives but I'll have you know he is a great man. He was an old friend of mine from my childhood. He has always been compassionate and helps out wherever he can. While he might benefit from helping you publicity-wise, I promise you'll be taken care of. If you need anything feel free to ask me also, the name is Norman."

"My name is Ash, and this is my new Pokemon Pikachu."

Norman looked startled to see a trainer of his age saying they got a new Pokemon, but said nothing, as his daughter did the same thing. "Nice to meet you Ash. I'm the gym leader here, so if you do go on a journey you'll meet me. However, now it's my mission to help you feel at home."

Delia smiled gratefully at him before looking out the window again. _This sure is a change from Pallet Town,_ she thought to herself.

Norman pulled over in front of the Pokemon gym. A confused Ash stared at him and aid, "Sir, with all due respect I thought you were driving us to our new house."

"Pika pika?"

Norman chuckled at the Pikachu who was already catching its trainer's habits. "I sure did, your house is across the street."

Sure enough, a two story house stood on the other side of the street. It was larger than their house in Pallet town, and looked almost regal from the outside with its purple curtains and well kept garden.

"Mr-?"

"Maple, but call me Norman."

"Okay. Norman, isn't this house a little bit expensive to be given out for free? I really don't want to cause problems," Delia said.

"Actually, this is the mayor's old house. Technically I own it now but I will transfer the papers to you. Here are the keys," he said, handing her a comically big key, "If you need anything, I live across the street."

After saying that, he waved and was about to enter the gym before Delia blurted out, "Wait! Would you and your family like to come to dinner over at our house tonight? It's the least I could do. It won't be a bother at all!"

"We would love to. Normally there are four of us but my daughter is currently away. At what time should we show up?"

"Any time after 21:00 is fine. I'll have the food ready by then. I look forward to meeting your family."

With that, Delia, Ash, and Pikachu entered their new house. It was fully furnished with expensive albeit dusty furniture. The kitchen had basic cooking sets.

Delia didn't bother looking at the other rooms and quickly said, "Ash, I'm going to the store to get food with the little money I have left on the card. You make yourself at home and pick a room. You can explore the town if you want to, just don't get lost!"

With that, she left Ash alone in the house. He explored the four bedrooms and three bathrooms, all lavishly decorated. However, he quickly got bored.

"Come on Pikachu, I saw a park nearby on the way here." Pikachu jumped on his shoulder, and they walked towards the park and sat there until it was almost time or dinner.

* * *

May arrived at Oldale town at about 20:00. _Two more hours and I'm home,_ she thought to herself. She took a quick break in the Pokemon Center and continued pedaling down the route. It was getting dark, and she had to arrive quickly. Although her legs hurt, she pedaled faster, determined to make it home in time for dinner.

* * *

The Maples arrived half an hour after Ash returned to the house, which meant he had the duty of setting the table and helping prepare the food. Mrs. Ketchum had cooked up a feast in record time, impressing Ash, who had lived with her for fifteen years.

"Go wait by the door, dear. They should be arriving any minute. I'm going to go get ready." Delia then rushed up the stairs to make herself presentable.

Sure enough, the doorbell rand two minutes later. Ash and Pikachu opened the door to greet their three guests. Norman spoke up first.

"Hello Ash, this is my wife Caroline and this is-"

"My name is Max and I'm nine and a half years old. That's a really cute Pikachu!"

"Um... thanks?" Ash said to him as Pikachu ran into the house to avoid the overly excited boy. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Maple, please do come in," he said with a smile. His mother's lectures about guests seemed to have paid off.

He ushered them to the table, where five plates were set up. Max however, continued to look for Pikachu, who was hiding from the boy. Delia descended the stairs and greeted her guests. After the introductions were given, she brought out drinks as Ash carried over the bowls of soup. The adults talked mostly about their jobs and their kids, while Ash was listening to Max's blabbering about Pokemon. He knew all about the subject, as he had studied it for five years with his friends, but was polite and let the boy speak. Pikachu gratefully listened from the distance, hoping his trainer would distract the boy.

Just before the main course (or courses, thanks to Delia's efficiency) was served, the doorbell rang. "I apologize," Norman said, "that must be my daughter. She just got her first Pokemon and arrived a little late. She must have tracked us down somehow."

"Nonsense, we have enough food for ten people if necessary," Delia replied with a smile. "Ash go open the door please."

Ash obeyed, a little reluctantly as he was still eating, and opened the door, expecting a ten year old trainer. Instead, he was greeted with sapphire eyes just slightly below his.

* * *

May walked through her front door, opening the door and plopping herself on the couch. She had left her bike outside, too tired to care. She released Torchic so that it would see her home, and called out to her parents, hoping she wasn't too late for dinner. After getting no response, she tiredly walked to the kitchen. Instead of finding food, she found a note on the fridge.

 _May, in case you arrived while we were away, we are at the house across the street for dinner. If you choose to come, dress nicely and don't forget to apologize for your tardiness. Love, mom_

 _P.S. Congratulations on your first Pokemon, your dad and I are proud._

May recalled Torchic and rushed upstairs, driven by the prospect of food. It might be from strangers, but it was food nonetheless. After showering and putting on fresh clothes, she rushed out of the house and walked across the street. She was surprised that her parents were at the mayor's old house, it was, after all, uninhabited. Regardless, she rang the doorbell and waited for one of her dad's friends to open the door. Instead, she found herself looking at a pair of brown eyes, just slightly above hers.

Both teens kept looking at each other, not expecting someone their own age. He stared into her sapphire eyes, while she stared at his brown ones. Their staring was interrupted by a mutual belly rumbling, despite the fact that Ash had alreay eaten a soup. They both looked embarrassed but shook it off. Ash reached out his hand towards hers and shook it. "My name is Ash, welcome to dinner."

"My name is May, thank you for having me," she replied while shaking his hand. They both chuckled slightly at the formality, and walked to the table. Unbeknownst to them, the adults had seen the entire scene and shared a knowing smile.


	7. Norman Dinner Pt2

**A/N: I'm sorry for the long update time! I've taken a liking to the old PMD games and just finished beating Darkrai in Explorers of Sky! My summer class is almost over and I'll probably get in some chapters before school starts soon. Don't give up on the story and please review! Each review means a lot to me, more than you can imagine! Oh and I may have not said it before but I don't own Pokemon. If I did, the anime would be much better ;)  
**

* * *

May sat down at the circular table at the Ketchum's residence, occupying the last available seat. Ash, who recieved a glare from his mother after sitting down in his former seat and leaving May standing, ceded the chair to May. Ash moved to eat alone in the bar stools that were near the kitchen counter. However, Caroline, both for her amusement and pity for the boy, asked in a loud voice "May dear? Would you mind sharing that seat with Ash? I know he's being a gentleman but it would be nice if he could join the conversation, as it is his house."

May reddened but beckoned Ash to sit on her left. Ash grumbled, even the stool was more comfortable than half a chair. When he felt May press up against him, his hormones decided it wasn't such a bad predicament. His face reddened at the thought. Awkwardly, he started up a conversation with Max about his Pikachu.

Meanwhile, the adults held a private conversation about Caroline's actions. "Did you see their faces?" asked Caroline barely containing a laugh.

"Hilarious, but it's going to be funnier when they realize May is left handed and their arms are going to bump." commented Delia. Sure enough, on the other side of the table, Ash and May bumped elbows numerous times, each time attempting to scoot farther from the other, to no avail.

Norman didn't say anything. He didn't like the idea of his little girl sitting so close to a boy. He didn't really trust this boy, even though he seemed like a nice kid when they met. It didn't help that May was practically siting on his lap. _He'd better not try anything_ , Norman thought. _His Pikachu seems taken with Max and he already has May blushing, something I've never seen her do. But how is he so old with only one Pokemon? Surely he must have journeyed before._ Unable to contain his curiosity, Norman blurted out, "So Ash, have you ever been on a Pokemon journey?"

"No sir. I just got my first Pokemon yesterday. The explosions postponed my first journey. Kanto law stated ten year olds were too young to have Pokemon in dangerous times, so I only just received Pikachu." Ash replied darkly.

"It's Norman, and I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. It was-"

"HA! At least he has a better excuse than my lazy sister. She didn't want one because she doesn't even like Pokemon. Such a shame really, I could have a Pokemon and actually love it." Max's outburst caused his mother to glare at him, but the damage was done. May sat with her mouth open, not believing her brother had spoken her secret reason for not wanting a Pokemon.

Ash turned to her with a look of mild disgust. He whispered, "Is it true you don't like Pokemon? I feel bad for your Pokemon. You're one of _those_ trainers." he disgust in his voice was evident. In fact, Ash scooted away from her and though they shared the same seat, Ash remained ten centimeters apart from her and refused to look at her the whole dinner.

Until dessert, the tension at the table was palpable. Not a word was spoken until Max asked Ash, "Ash, when are you going on your journey? Are you going on a journey through Hoenn?"

Talking about Pokemon excited Ash once again, and he responded, "In exactly six months, I'm planning to start my journey. But first, I want to make sure mom is okay. I wa thinking I'd help her by getting a job and staying if she needs me to. If not, I made a promise to an old friend that we'd start our journeys at the same time. She's in Mossdeep right now."

"Ash, I didn't know this, but I figured you'd go on a journey sooner or later, especially with Rey in the region. Don't worry about the job, I already managed to find one!" Delia replied, evidently proud.

This time, it was Norman's turn to be surprised. "How? You've just arrived today! I didn't know any stores were hiring."

"Well, it all started when I went to the giant superstore at the corner of the street, _Pokeopolis_. I was getting my groceries and stumbled upon an old lady looking for directions and help getting her groceries. I helped her look through the entire store, and within twenty minutes we had everything for her. The manager noticed my actions and how quickly I had found everything, and told me my 'moral fiber' was astounding. He then asked me if I was in need of a job, and he offered to meet me tomorrow at seven for the position of assistant manager. Apparently his old assistant hadn't cared much for the customers and had gotten complaints. Tomorrow he will decide if I get the job."

Caroline looked shocked, and answered, "That's wonderful Delia! Pokeopolis is the biggest store in the Hoenn region. The manager just offered you the third most prestigious job at Hoenn's greatest store."

Delia did not know that, and therefore looked shocked. She had not been past the food section of the store. "I didn't know that... Ash, go on your journey. I will be able to take care of myself here at home."

Ash had stars in his eyes as he responded, "Thank you mom! I'll start preparing before I leave in six months! I'm gonna start training Pikachu. even though I'm not gonna travel yet, this will mean we'll be prepared when we do begin. Right Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

Max also shone with excitement. "Ash! We're starting about at the same time! My birthday is in six months. Can I please watch you train and join you on your journey? I need someone to help me catch my starter Pokemon! I want mine to be different."

Ash chuckled at the little boy's antics and looked to his parents, who looked thrilled that their son wasn't going to be alone in his journey. They nodded to him, and he responded, "Sure Max, I can tell you love Pokemon and it'll be fun to have you along."

Max hurriedly thanked Ash and went to tell the news to Pikachu, who had escaped to the kitchen in search of ketchup. Delia decided to include May, as she was the hostess and wanted to keep everyone happy. "May? Where will you be heading with your Torchic?"

May hesitated. She had intended to ask to join Ash on his journey, but now that he wanted nothing to do with her and didn't even speak to her, her confidence fell. Instead she answered, "I'm going to Rustboro City and I'm gonna be a TV star with Torchic."

Ash snickered under his breath, which only May heard. This was another stab to the heart to her but she kept herself together. He parents gave her a look but quickly amended themselves by saying, "We'll support you no matter what dear. When are you leaving?"

She wanted to stay and fix things with the only person her age that she knew. But he distanced himself from her on the chair even more. She realized she couldn't face him again, ever. "Tomorrow," she said quietly. Those were the last words spoken at dinner before Norman and his family said their goodbyes.

"Max! I'll be training at the park down the street with Pikachu around ten. You can come watch if you want." Ash called out to the family who had already left towards their house. Max turned around and have him a smile, halfway down the street, before following his morbid sister into his house.

* * *

True to her word, May left early the next morning. she gave quick hugs to her parents and brother and quickly pocketed her Torchic. She rode her bicycle until she reached the route towards Rustboro City. As she reached the route, the tears began. The only person old enough to be her friend had rejected her. She felt lonely. She had clicked with Ash but had not loved his favorite thing in the world. He thought of her as a cruel trainer, she knew it. Now he thought she was only a joke. _He's right,_ she thought, _maybe I don't love my Torchic, but I'm still going to travel the world with it, because it's now my partner._ Little did she know, her Torchic felt a surge of emotion that May had unconsciously released, and it fell asleep in its Pokeball, relieved.

 **IM SORRY IF THIS CHAPTER WAS TERRIBLE! I had imagined it to be so much better, but decided May and Ash should have some conflict at first. I was going to dd more to make it 4k words, but honestly the other parts belong in a new chapter. PLEASE REVIEW and im sorry if it sucked.**


	8. Pikachu ist stärker

A/N: Thanks to a guest review I realized I did need more Ash / Pikachu time! This chapter mixes in Ash, Pikachu, Max, and Rey. While I admit it may be a filler, I'd rather not skip 6 months ahead. This way, you have some idea of what Ash and Pikachu did during the waiting period routine . And no, I'm not explicitly going to write about what happens to May, let's just say she'll come back eventually. It still will be Ash x May but come on, who doesn't like a little drama. If you want to choose Ash's team, I have 3 slots available. I already have his mega so…

* * *

Ash woke up early the next day, eager to train with his Pikachu. He brushed his and Pikachu's teeth (with the same brush, ew) and set off towards the Pokemon Center to give Pikachu a final checkup before his first training session. Upon entering the center, everyone went quiet and stared at him. More specifically, they stared at his Pikachu. Luckily, no one said anything and he was able to reach Nurse Joy.

"You must be Ash, judging by the Pikachu on your shoulder," she said with her kind smile.

"Yes I am, but how do you know my name?"

"You have a message from a girl in Mossdeep City. I'll check on your Pikachu while you can listen to the message left for you on the terminals over there," she said as she pointed to the computer terminals.

Ash thanked her and scratched Pikachu behind the ears, earning him a chaa, before heading to the terminals. He connected his Pokedex to the Pokedex slot and watched the message meant for his trainer ID. Rey's face appeared on the screen.

"Ash, I tried leaving a message at the Petalburg Center for you to see. If you get this message, call me as soon as you can. My family has a phone in our house. See you!"

A smile crept to his face when he saw her. Quickly, he dialed the number from the message and only had to wait two rings before he got an answer. Rey's mother appeared on the screen.

"Hello dear, you must be looking for Rey, I'll go get her for you!"

Ash didn't even get to thank her before Rey's face took up the screen, sporting a smile. "Ash it already feels like a long time! You got my message earlier than expected."

"Well I was in the Pokemon Center and Nurse Joy told me I had a message."

"Let me guess, you're going to go train your Pikachu."

"How'd you know that?"

Rey gave a sly grin and said, "Let's just say Bulbasaur is already stronger."

"I always knew we were alike," Ash said with a laugh, "I'm going on the journey, my mom will be okay here!"

Rey practically jumped up and down and squealed, "That's great Ash! We can go on our journey! I could kiss you right now." She then blushed profusely, realizing what she had said.

Ash's face was just a shade of red lighter, so he decided to change the subject. "Any word from Ritchie or Serena yet?"

Rey's face dropped. "Not a word, but don't worry, I'm sure they'll find us eventually. Right now it's only the two of us."

"It's a shame, I really wanted to say goodbye to Ritchie." A bell in the distance sounded, indicating Pikachu was ready. "I've gotta go Rey, I'll call you later from my house phone! Goodbye."

"I'll hold you to it, bye Ashy!"

He snorted at the nickname and hung up. He quickly picked up Pikachu from the counter and thanked the pretty nurse. He and Pikachu walked out of the Pokemon Center, side by side, to go pick up their other training companion.

* * *

Ash and Pikachu took their time on the way to the gym. After a brief knock on the door, Max zoomed out of the door and joined him. Ash and Pikachu chuckled at his antics.

"Let's go Ash, I'm ready to see some real training! I've read all about training all sorts of Pokemon."

"Alright Max, we are going now."

Ash was forced to chase down a running Max all the way down to the Central Park. Upon arrival, Ash and Max, and of course Pikachu looked for a clearing in order to train away from most people. The park's forest was quite dense, after all.

Finally they found a great clearing which was surrounded by trees and w"as far away from any of the jogging trails. "Alright Max, I know you want to help, but as it's the first time I train with Pikachu I want to figure out a routine for myself. You can watch from that log though."

Max's spirits dampened slightly, but he had read all about trainee and Pokemon binding, so he understood Ash's request. He sat on the log and anxiously waited to see Pikachu begin to practice.

Ash however, went over to talk to Pikachu, which served to bore Max slightly. "Alright Pikachu, I know you didn't like me at first, but we've been through a lot. Let's work together and make you a powerful Pokemon!"

"Pika!" Pikachu shook Ash's outstretched hand with it's tail and jumped into his arms, before Ash pulled out his Pokedex. "Pikachu, I'm going to scan you to see what moves you know now and which ones we can practice today."

"Alright Pikachu, it says here you can use Growl, Thundershock, Quick Attack, and Vilt Tackle. Apparently Volt Tackle is a rare move, you're a lucky Pikachu aren't you?"

"Chaaaa," Pikachu cooed.

Max watched in fascination for the rest of the training session. Ash had unorthodox methods of training, but they seemed to be effective.

Ash trained his Pikachu's quick attack first, encouraging Pikachu to run between the trees as fast as he could, timing him with his Pokedex. After that, he placed his empty bag filled with his jacket on his torso instead of his back, and encouraged Pikachu to power through by tackling him on the belly. By the end Pikachu could knock over Ash every time. Ash trained Pikachu's accuracy by throwing stones and sticks into the air and having Pikachu Thundershock them.

All in all, after eight hours of intense training, with a small break for lunch, Ash and Pikachu were equally exhauseted. Max made a mental note of everything Ash and Pikachu did and did not get bored once. On their walk to the Pokemon Center, Ash and Max idly chatted about strategies for double battles while Pikachu slept in its trainer's arms.

Nurse Joy left Pikachu for an hour in the electric Pokemon recover room. He wasn't injured, but this way he'd be ready for training the next day. Ash and Max remained in the lobby of the Pokemon Center. Ash decided he'd had enough strategy talk and asked something that had come to his attention. "Is your sister already gone?"

"Yeah, she went to Rustboro City. Don't worry Ash, I don't blame you. She'd never really liked Pokemon, and just needed a bodyguard for her travels. She'll probably come around sometime."

"Thank you Max. I'm sure she will too." A weight was taken off his chest when Max told him he didn't blame him for his sister's early departure.

"Ash, your Pikachu is ready to go! He recovered exceptionally well. I can already see that it will become a powerful Pokemon."

"Thanks Nuse Joy," he said as Pikachu jumped into his head. "I'll make sure he's one of the strongest Poemon ever."

"Pi-Pikachu"

Ash turned to Max and said, "Let's get you home, your dad might be getting worried. If you still want to come, I'll train at this time every day. You're invited of course."

"Absolutely Ash, I'm sure I can learn a lot from you."

For rest of the walk home, the two remained in a rare yet companionable silence.

* * *

A/N: There's my filler so you get some Pika interaction ;) Once again sorry if it's short but size doesn't matter, I hope? Anyways all joking aside I'll be updating my Harry Potter story next but don't worry, I'm stuck in Mexixo on vacation and I'll just write in google docs when I'm bored! Enjoy this sorry and review ;) it motivates me


	9. New Beginnings

**A/N: LAST INTRODUCTION CHAPTER! Also it's the last you'll see of Ritchie and Serena for a while, but it shows their friendship and personality.**

"Alright Pikachu! Tomorrow is our journey! Give this combination all you've got!"

Pikachu nodded and ran across the open field, commencing a quick attack. However, halfway through it became a Volt Tackle. Pikachu jumped and spinned, combining Volt Tackle and Iron Tail to smash the rock below him to a fine powder. In fact, Pikachu had taken no recoil from the attack, despite using Volt Tackle.

It was just one of the techniques Ash and Pikachu had perfected. Pikachu now knew Electro Ball, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Dig, Brick Break, Thunder Wave, and Light Screen, a mind other moves. Max and Ash had extensively studied Pikachu and made sure he knew all the moves he could. Additionally, Pikachu was extremely accurate and powerful. He was agile enough to have his quick attack look like a double team attack.

"Good work buddy! We're definitely ready to go on a journey and win the Hoenn League!"

"Pika-kachu!"

"And thank you too Max. I couldn't have practiced and taught Pikachu in such a short time without you."

Max blushed at the praise and responded, "It was nothing Ash, I really enjoyed it. I've learned a lot from you and I'm probably a stronger trainer already because of you."

"I'm glad I could help you then Max. Go on home and sleep, tomorrow is a big day for both of us."

Max nodded and waved goodbye, preparing himself to rest early for his big day.

When he got home, he was greeted by his father who had such a large smile on his face, it looked almost creepy.

"Hey Max! I have a surprise for you." Max's eyes lit up. He knew his father had bought him a Pokenav after seeing him try to hide it under the couch.

Sure enough, his dad bestowed him with a Pokenav with all the latest features, including a beta version of Pokemon locators. It could call out hiding wild Pokemon by playing their mating call. This new feature was called Dexnav.

Max hugged his father tightly, perfectly content with his gift. In fact, he was beyond grateful. He did not, however, expect to be bestowed with another gift.

Norman unshrunk a Pokeball from his belt. On that Pokeball, gold letters spelled out Max. Max looked at it curiously and received it from his father. He pressed the button in the middle and a Slakoth came out and hugged Max's leg.

"You see Max, I know you wanted to catch your first Pokemon, but this baby Slakoth hatched a week ago and I wanted to give him to you so you could remember me whenever you used your first Pokemon."

Max's eyes watered at his father's words and gift. He rushed and gave his dad a hug, with Slakoth still hugging his leg.

"Thank you dad… You don't know how much this means to me. I'll take good care of it."

"I'm sure you will son, now go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day."

"Goodnight dad!"

Max rushed up the stairs to say goodnight to his mom and go to bed, forgetting the sleeping Slakoth was clinging to his leg. Luckily for both of them, Slakoth held on tight and remained asleep as Max rushed into his mom's room to say goodnight. Slakoth still hung tight as Max climbed into bed, not even bothering to put on pyjamas, and fell asleep with a smile on his face.

SPACER

Ash Ketchum walked to the Pokemon Center with the orange light of the sunset making him look like another shadow. The night was surprisingly calm. The doors of the Pokemon Center glowed in the dark streets which were illuminated by yellow light.

Ash walked in and delivered Pikachu to Nurse Joy, who by now was used to taking in Pikachu every day. Pikachu was healed faster every day, much to the nurse's surprise.

"Ash, when are you going in your journey?" The nurse made small talk with Ash as he was the only one in the center.

"I leave tomorrow, thank you for healing Pikachu all these times Nurse Joy."

"I'm going to miss you Ash, and Pikachu too. By the way, since you're leaving tomorrow, I have two things to give to you."

She handed Ash an envelope and a charm with a note. He opened the envelope first.

 _Dear Ash,_

 _If you're reading this it's because you have gone out on your journey. There's so many thing I would like to tell you, but it doesn't seem right to put it in a letter. Rey gave me your number a few days ago, but I thought you'd like the surprise. I hope you do remember me on your journey, and I'll be going on one too! I met this girl named Shauna, and she's going with me on a journey to win the title of Kalos Queen. I've decided to not be a trainer and participate in Pokemon Showcases instead, I hope you dorm mind if I don't promise a battle with you. You have to see my Fennekin though, it's the cutest thing! There's a picture of us at the bottom. I miss you Ash, and Rey too. Write to Vaniville town of you want to reach me, my mom will forward it to you. If not, send a quick message to my Pokedex. It's one of the new features. Just search up my name._

 _With love,_

 _Serena_

Indeed the letter had a photo of a smiling Serena holding a fox-like Pokemon in her hands with a Squirtle on her lap. She was wearing a new kind of French hat and even Ash had to admit she looked pretty. He turned the letter around since he felt something heavy on the back. On it was a necklace with a golden Pokeball, although it was only a quarter of a Poke ball and has the initials AK engraved on it. He read the description under where the necklace was taped.

 _P.S. I know you and Ritchie hate jewelry, but I bought four of these, one for each of us. I hope you'll wear it, so when we all meet again, the Pokeball can be complete. Good luck on your journey, and please wear it._

Ash smiled at the chain and put it on, despite not liking jewelry. He then looked at the charm which he had also received. It was blue and had the shape of a star.

The note read: _Ash, Professor Birch found four of these in his studies, and gifted it to me to share with you guys. He sends his condolences and hopes to meet you. Anyways, this is a shiny charm. It apparently makes shiny Pokemon more common, but I don't believe it. It's nice that we all have one though, so just keep it with you. I'll battle you someday, so be ready because I'm going to win._

 _Ritchie_

Ash smiled at the charm and slid it on the golden chain next to the Pokeball. He felt his friends close for the first time since her moved to Hoenn. He tried out the feature on the Pokedex, and managed to send out a quick message thanking them and apologizing for not sending anything. Ritchie and Serena were asleep, but would receive their message in the morning.

"Ash, Pikachu is ready to go. I'll miss having you two here."

Pikachu jumped on Ash's head and said, "Pika pi!"

Ash roughly translated it to, "We'll miss you too!" He thanked Nurse Joy and walked off towards home. He and Pikachu slept soundly that night.

SPACER

Rey snuck out in the middle of the night. If Cresselia was to be trusted, she would meet her second traveling companion that night. She sat by the beach with her bulbasaur in her arms. An hour has passed, and Rey was dozing off. However, in the distance, a purple Pokemon slowly made its way towards the beach from the moonlight. Rey noticed it and stood up, preparing for battle.

The Pokemon beached itself and looked around. It had the instinct to come to this beach. It was promised a new chapter of its life would begin. It saw a girl on the beach with a green Pokemon, and wondered if she has anything to do with its fate.

Rey saw the beautiful purple Lapras and sent out Bulbasaur into battle stance. "Lapras, I was told you'd be here. I challenge you to a battle."

Lapras was exhilarated, it missed battling. It launched an ice beam at the green Pokemon and the battle commenced.

SPACER

The next day, Max woke up and got ready within two minutes. He had recalled Slakoth and was ready to go, except he didn't have his bag. He walked downstairs for his last breakfast at home, and found her mother holding his full bag.

"Max, I prepared your bag for you! Come have breakfast so we can enjoy having you here for the last time in a while.

Max was going to protest, but his stomach betrayed him and grumbled. He admitted defeat and ate the delicious breakfast his parents set out for him. There was not much talking during the meal.

When Max had finished eating, he stood up and went for his bag. "Mom, dad! I have to go. I'm going to be late to meet Ash."

Caroline ran up to her son and gave her one last hug before pulling back with tears in her eyes. Norman on the other hand, shook his hand and said, "Son, today you begin your journey to manhood. I'm expecting not you to become the gym leader someday, so make me proud."

Max gave his father a hug and headed out the door. He walked for about five minutes and reached the entrance to the route to Rustboro City and waited for Ash to show up.

SPACER

Ritchie woke up and called out his Charmander. "Come on Charmander, it's time to go."

He picked up his bag and walked into the kitchen. He ate a quick bowl of cereal before going to his brother's room. "I'm leaving on my journey now! Don't worry about me."

His brother was still half asleep and replied, "I'm sure you're capable of taking care of yourself. Have fun." He then headed off to sleep.

Ritchie chuckled and stepped out his front door and saw Dragonite resting against the tree. "Dragonite!" he called out. "Can you take me to Birch's lab? I'm going to start my journey from there."

Dragonite lazily nodded and let Ritchie climb into his back along with Charmander. They flew off into the rising sun. Ritchie's journey had begun.

SPACER

"Serena hurry up or Tierno and Trevor are going to leave without us!" Shauna's high pitched voice interrupted Serena's breakfast. She was irritated, but decided not to be left behind. She returned her Pokemon to their Pokeballs and looked at her mother.

"Hi dear, your friends are waiting. Take care of them, I know they're not ten but they're thirteen and you're the oldest. I'm counting on you! Now go have fun."

Serena hugged her mother and stepped out the door, grateful Kalos rules only gave Pokemon to trainers over 12 years of age. Shauna dragged her to the gate of Vaniville town where Trevor and Tierno were waiting.

"About time Serena," Tierno said.

"Yeah, we were about to go without you," said Trevor.

"Let's walk through the gate together, our journey begins now!" said an excited Shauna. As they all walked through the gates, none of them noticed Serena holding a necklace with two charms.

SPACER

Rey didn't have an emotional farewell. Her family hated getting up early, so she decided to say her farewells at night. Since she was a morning person, she left the house at sunrise. Unfortunately, she had fotgotten her breakfast, which she regretted slightly.

She reached the beach of Mossdeep City and looked at the space station one last time. She looked at her new Pokeball and smiled, she now knew why she had Lapras with her. She brought out Lapras, who came out with a shine.

"Lapras!" It said.

"Alright Lapras, we need to surf to Rustboro City with no distractions! That's where the first and easiest gym is. Let's do this!"

Lapras echoed her trainers enthusiasm as her trainer climbed her back. Lapras sailed off as fast as it could towards the chosen destination. Rey had started her own adventure, and would soon intercept Ash, or so she thought.

SPACER

Ash hugged his mother before leaving her for the first time. Delia was in tears, but she was happy for her son. She had a stable job and had filled his backpack with lots of new goodies. Ash also had a Pokenav now.

"Mom, I'm going to miss you but don't worry, I'll visit you before I go to the League."

"I'm sure you will Ash, go now. Don't keep Max waiting."

Ash looked at his mom one last time before turning and walking towards where he had decided to meet Max.

The last thing he heard from his mom was her usual bit of advice.

"Don't forget to change your underwear Ash!"

 **A/N: Hope you guys enjoy, next chapter Max gets his first Pokemon catch and so does Ash… GIVE SUGGESTIONS SO I CAN PICK THEIR TEAMS I also need Serena and Ritchie and Rey's team so, review and you get to have a say in the story! That is if you don't pick something irrelevant like Basculin. Ew.**


	10. New Adventurers

**A/N: 2 years later, I'm back! I swear I'll at least try to update this and my other story. I have the teams set up and the storyline for the next few chapters plotted, as well as a new OC for the 6th gym badge. Hope anyone reading this enjoys and follows for more updates (and comments)**

"FINALLY! Took you long enough!" came the shrill cry of a ten-year-old boy at the entrance to Route 102.

Upon hearing Max's tone, Ash became a little embarrassed. He knew that as a ten-year-old, he would be just as excited to begin his Pokemon journey. "Sorry Max, I got a bit saying goodbye to my mom and packing some gifts up into my essential carrying items."

Despite his impatience, Max quickly became curious and asked Ash about the items in question.

"Just a few trinkets from my closest friends. I feel bad; I didn't get them anything. You might find this one interesting, though," he said as he pulled out the shiny charm. "It apparently makes shiny Pokemon more likely to appear."

"HA!" exclaimed Max in disbelief, "As if! According to most scientists there is a 1/4096 probability of finding a shiny. No little charm can help those odds."

Ash merely smiled at the his memory. "You might be right, but it's still a good charm to remember Ritchie."

Max merely shrugged before remembering his excitement for Route 102. "C'mon Ash!" he yelled as he pulled Ash through the gate. As soon as they reached the other side, Max had an idea. "Let's have fun with this. I know that you were originally supposed to help me capture my first 'real' Pokemon, but let's split up and each catch the first Pokemon we find. It'll be a great way to start our adventure!"

While Ash did not fancy the idea of catching a random Zigzagoon, he thought it would be a good bonding experience for them. "Alright, but first tell me what Pokemon are here based on your Pokenav."

"Well, I can only see Pokemon on the DexNav that I've seen before, so as of now I can only see a Zigzagoon, and that's only because I saw one sleeping on a bush on the way here."

Ash sighed, hoping that he would see something more interesting. He didn't detest the idea of Zigzagoon per se, but he had already grown sick of seeing so many in the Petalburg park. He mock saluted Max and entered the Southern patches of tall grass (which only reached his knees now). He walked around aimlessly with Pikachu on his shoulder as a lookout. Suddenly, Pikachu called out "Pika! Pi, pi pika!"

Roughly translated, Ash assumed Pikachu meant "Pokemon! Over there!" and stealthily made his way over to the light blue Pokemon. It was in a small clearing the tall grass. Most trainers would not have noticed it, but Ash was consciously searching for Pokemon.

"That's strange," he commented, "I researched the basic Pokemon of Hoenn and I've never seen one like that."

He took out his Pokedex and pointed it at the creature. " _Ralts, the Feeling Pokemon. Ralts is a psychic type Pokemon with recently discovered fairy powers. They are quick to flee from encounters with Teleport but enjoy sensing the emotions of others. Male Ralts can evolve into a recently discovered form, Gallade, with the help of a Dawn Stone."_

"That's why I didn't recognize it. Ralts are supposed to be green! That Pokedex that Birch sent over is quite descriptive," Ash said before taking out a Quick Ball. "Sorry buddy, if I send you out, it will probably escape when it senses danger."

Pikachu nodded his understanding and watched his trainer aim his shot and throw the quick ball at the blue Ralts. Luckily, his target practice had paid off. His aim was true, unlike the first few times he practiced throwing a rock at a target back in Kanto as a child. The Quick Ball shook three times and clicked, indicating he had caught his first Pokemon.

After he picked up the ball and shrunk it for his belt, he could no longer contain his giddiness and celebrated with Pikachu. "We caught our first Pokemon! A blue Ralts! Wait 'til you see what Mr. Unbeliever-in-the-shiny charm is gonna say!"

"Pika pika-chu," Pikachu said while laughing.

"Hey I know I doubted it too, but let's pretend I didn't so that we can see the look on his face. Training this Ralts is going to be so fun!"

Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder in agreement, glad to have such an interesting new member.

Ten minutes later, Ash grumpily sat on a rock near Max's tall grass area and vented to his equally annoyed Pokemon. "Zigzagoons are such nuisances! Can you believe those three tried to attack us after you knocked them out with a single quick attack?"

Pikachu sighed in agreement. He did not particularly enjoy attacking such weak Pokemon, especially after six months of specialized, intensive training.

They were brought out of their annoyance with the appearance of Max at the edge of the tall grass, which, with his shorter frame, reached up to his waist. "You'll never believe what I caught!" he said with a smirk that didn't quite manage to hide his inner excitement.

"Go on then, ladies first, let's see it," Ash teased.

Max, surprisingly, did not even respond to the tease and sent out his newly caught Pokemon. The bipedal pokemon came out of his Pokeball and materialized into its green, white and pink colors. "Isn't she amazing! I caught a Ralts!"

As he said this, max picked Ralts up into a hug. Ash seemed impressed that Max had managed to catch it in a Pokeball. Then again, Max didn't have the luxury of his mom bringing him home souvenirs from the Trainer's department at Pokeopolis. Before he could say anything, though, Max beat him to the punch.

"It took me a few tries to catch this little one. She teleported away like seven times. In the end, it turns out she just wanted to play hide-and-seek, didn't you?" Ralts smiled unabashedly at her trainer and said "Ralts!"

"Well, you'll be surprised to see what I caught then," said Ash with a playful smirk. "Hint: it rhymes with 'malts'," he said as his shiny blue Ralts materialized from its blue and yellow ball.

Max was excited and a bit jealous when he saw another Ralts materialize instead of a Zigzagoon, but when he saw its color scheme he nearly fainted. "IS THAT A SHINY RALTS ASH?"

Ash chuckled and looked down at his Ralts, but saw that his Ralts was focused on the ralts in Max's arms and vice-versa. Max didn't even notice when his Ralts jumped down from his arms to meet the other Ralts. His eyes were glued to the beautiful blue Ralts in front of his eyes.

Ash snapped him out of his reverie by saying, "Guess that charm does work, huh?"

Max stared at him in disbelief and said, "You win this round, Ash Ketchum."

Luckily his Pokemon did hear his comment and remained in animated conversation with Ash's Ralts. Curious about the interaction, Ash busied himself with watching the Pokemon communicate while Max updated his Pokenav to have the shiny Ralts sprite. As he did this, he noticed a peculiar outline of a Pokemon he had never seen before. He called Ash over to investigate the fox-like outline.

"I've never seen an outline like it if I'm honest. The only fox-like Pokemon in Kanto was Vulpix. Serena did have a fox Pokemon in the picture she sent me. Maybe it's a Fennekin like hers?"

He pulled the picture out of his bag and showed it to Max. "Could be," replied Max. "We won't know until we try though. I must have run into it accidentally, but I only ran into Zigzagoons on the way back. Should I call it to see what it is?"

Ash nodded in affirmation and proceeded to watch Max press a few buttons on his Pokenav. "Okay, according to the Dexnav feature, the Pokemon should be nearby in the north patch of grass. Let's get near it and see if we can find it in the grass."

Both trainers stood and called their Pokemon. The Ralts seemed to be disappointed to stop their conversation, but realized their trainers needed them.

"Alright Ralts," Max called to his Pokemon, "we're going to be battling an unknown Pokemon. I hope you're ready for your first battle!"

When Max approached the edge of the grass, Ash called out, "Call me if you need any help!"

Max silenced him so as to not scare away the Pokemon. Ash merely shrugged and introduces himself to his newest Pokemon. "My name is Ash and I'm your new trainer. Pikachu and I are really excited to have you on our team! We're gonna work really hard and win the Hoenn League, does that sound fun?"

Though Ralts did not fully understand his statement, it got the gist and happily responded to its trainer, "Ralts Ralts!"

Ash smiled at his newest Pokemon and took out his Pokedex to analyze the Ralts using the new Pokescan feature. " _This Ralts is a male and knows the moves: Disarming Voice, Teleport, Confusion, and Double Team. Astounding! This Ralts is a different color! Color scheme uploaded to Pokedex entries. Thank you for your contribution to our research!"_

Ash's analysis was interrupted when Max called out to him, asking for some help. Seconds later, Ash saw Max's Ralts facing two very angry Zigzagoons. "I guess they're not new Pokemon after all, but I need help with this double battle!" called Max.

Ash quickly ran over with Ralts in his arms and dropped him next to his new female Pokefriend. "Pikachu, I'm gonna let Ralts have his first battle, sorry bud."

"Pika pikaa," Pikachu responded, which roughly translated to "I'd rather not fight any more Zigzagoons today anyways, it's not fun."

After Pikachu's statement, both trainers and Pokemon looked at each other with a determined look. They were going to win their first double battle. In unison, they called out "Ralts, use Confusion!"

Both Ralts acted quickly, eager to please their new trainers as well as impress the other. The Zigzagoon on the right, which was attacked by Ash's Ralts, took considerable damage from the attack. The left Zigzagoon seemed unaffected.

"Well that's strange…" murmured Max.

He was not given much time for musing as the Zigzagoons retaliated with dual Tackle attacks. Both trainers only had enough time to yell, "Dodge it!" but they were too late and the attacks hit.

Fortunately, both Pokemon didn't seem to take catastrophic damage. Both trainers quickly responded with different attacks. "Disarming Voice!" "Confusion!"

The disarming voice hit the Zigzagoon at point-blank range after it had lunged for another attack. The confusion attack lifted the other Zigzagoon in the air and thrust it to the ground, where it also fainted. Suddenly, the Zigzagoon Max had knocked out transformed into a black fox-like Pokemon.

"Guess you found it after all, you'd better scan it to see what it is."

Max was beaming because of their first victory, but he had the sense to pull out his Pokedex and have it describe the mystery Pokemon. " _Zorua, the tricky fox Pokemon. This dark type likes to disguise itself using its ability illusion. They have been known to impersonate Pokemon in Route 101, but their presence is minimal in Hoenn."_

"Cool," stated Ash, "you should catch it!"

Max double-checked with Ash before confirming that it was his catch and throwing the Pokeball. Zorua was caught.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Max.

"You both did great!" ash said to the proud looking Pokemon.

Both trainers petted their new companions before returning them to their Pokeballs.

"We'd better get going. We have to pass by the Pokemon Center to heal these guys up and reach the edge of the Petalburg Woods by night. I'd rather camp out on the beach there than halfway through."

"Sounds like a plan!" responded Max before they both took off towards their final crossing of Petalburg City, at least for a while.

Both walked at a brisk pace, giddy about their new Pokemon and excited to finally experience trainer battles along Route 104, where many trainers camped out. Their journey had just begun.

* * *

On the other corner of the region, Rey was having smooth sailing on the back of her purple Lapras. Only a few Pokemon had been brave or unlucky enough to encounter and battle them, though Bulbasaur made quick work of them with his clear type advantage and Lapras's instinctive mobility. She even had a shiny new Pokeball containing a Horsea on her belt.

"Lapras I think I see Pacifidlog Town on the horizon! You're really a fast swimmer!"

"Lap-Lapras!" she responded in praise.

Rey spent the rest of the ride deep in thought. She approximated that she'd arrive at Route 104 in two days and at Rustboro City in three or four depending on her interest in the Petalburg Woods. One thing was for certain, it seemed Ash was in for quite the surprise.


End file.
